Cleaning a huge copper bucket please HELP!!!

deeds

I've been given a huge copper bucket for our new house, to store our logs and bits for the fire, but its absolutely filthy. I don't know where to start with cleaning it, so I thought I'd ask here. Otherwise its a trip to Tesco for copper cleaner, but I'm sure there must be a more MSE way to do it.
Any ideas?
heres a couple of pics:



Ignore the carpet offcut, its from the previous people.

rosekitten

either brown sauce or blackcurrent

or Autosol I used the cream and its
really good,bought mine in a National
Trust shop after asking how they had
cleaned their copper pots,they reccomended
it have to say its really good on the grim
stuff like yours thats never been cleaned in years


http://thepolishingshop.co.uk/acatalog/autosoltube.jpg

deeds

thanks for your reply rosekitten,

brown sauce? Interesting!
I'll give that a go as theres some in the fridge and get the Autosol ordered.
thanks again.

greenbee

I'm at work at the moment, so can't remember whether yogurt just works on brass or also on copper.

Don't get it too shiny though... then you'll have to keep it that way :D

Pink.

Hi deeds,

There are more suggestions on this earlier thread that may help:

cleaning copper

I'll add your thread to that one later to keep the ideas together.

Pink

Penelope_Penguin

rosekitten wrote: »

either brown sauce

greenbee wrote: »

I'm at work at the moment, so can't remember whether yogurt just works on brass or also on copper.

Brown sauce and yoghurt both work as they're acidic. The acid will react with the copper oxide layer and remove it, so leaving the shiny copper underneath

I like to use a soft cloth, dampened with a bit of vinegar, dipped in salt. The vinegar is acidic and the salt is slightly abrasive, without scratching.

You could always use a metal laquer to keep the shine without the elbow grease :T

Penny. x

ellie14

I think the bicarb and vinegar works well ,took the hard work out of cleaning some brass ,would'nt go to the expense of buying something

Penelope_Penguin

ellie14 wrote: »

I think the bicarb and vinegar works well ,took the hard work out of cleaning some brass ,would'nt go to the expense of buying something

Use bicarb OR vinegar - using the two together, they'll undergo chemical reaction, and be less effective

Penny. x